When I emerged from the woods, I am sure that I had a look that no one could describe. I was also holding my breath as I fell down on the sand several times, as I tried to escape from the forest. Because of the adrenaline rush I felt, I just ignored what happened and managed to stand up to continue running away from the forest.
Run, Amelia, run for your life!
I looked back several times without making a sound to see if the white wolf I had seen earlier had followed me. And as soon as I realized that no one was behind me, my running pace now began to slow down, as did my breath. I just tried to calm down, which was especially important when I saw Nikita, who is one of my friends, coming toward me. I should relax and show her I am fine.
"Nikita..." I called her name in delight as I tried to relax.
I feel at ease now that I've seen her, so if the wolf were after me, Nikita could help me run away. I hurriedly stride to walk in front of her as if I had appeared out of the blue, and it made her gasp. Surely she did not hear me earlier or see me coming!
I had no intention of sharing with her what I had seen and experienced out in the forest. After all, she won't believe my stories, as if I am always telling her lies.
What if she accused me of hallucinating, losing my sanity, and becoming crazy?
"Hi, Amelia. Are you alone? What are you doing here?"
I forced a smile. Her deep set of eyes bore into my face, and it seemed she was reading me. She stopped walking only to have a short conversation with me.
"Are you okay? You looked terrible! Wait, are you running away with someone?" She added, looking at me as if her last words and accusation were true. I vehemently shook my head. I won't tell her everything. "What happen? What is wrong with you? You looked scared!"
Nikita kept looking at my face for a few more minutes. Her eyes took on a slightly worried look. She is now curious about the stories I have to tell.
Will I be able to trust her? What if these words spread across the whole island? It became my fault, not hers.
"Did you see some ghosts?" Her tone of voice was worried but had a bit of excitement. Is she teasing me now? She knew that I was scared of ghosts. "You looked not okay, Amelia. Answer me! Are you okay or not?" She held on to my shoulder and pulled me near her, "What's wrong?"I hold my breath and muster some courage to lie. Still, I won't tell her about the white wolf. I will keep it to myself!
"I am fine, Nikita, you'll see, just over there..." I almost stuttered in my response to her since I knew some people wouldn't believe me. I scratched my head, showing that it was hard to lie to her. I know, I said that I wouldn't tell her anything, but Nikita is like my family, so I must not lie to her.
I was not expecting a lot of people to believe what I was about to tell them about wolves. I know some of them were going to say that it was a hoax. Of course, they did not experience it, so they have a choice about saying anything was a lie or not true. Nikita is a good friend of mine, and I don't want Nikita to put her life in danger through this. I won't tell her this kind of secret, never!
But how long can I hold myself?
"I have to get back home now, Nikita. I hope to see you around. I'll explain everything later, if I find some time." I tried to avoid her now by leaving her behind, but how about soon in the future? It was really hard.
I turn around to take my leave. I need to go and run, so she can't ask me any questions. I closed my eyes to muster the courage to leave now!
"Wait, Amelia! What do you mean by that over there? Why do you have such a pale complexion? Are you hiding something? Or did you do something stupid inside the forest and you are embarrassed to tell me about it?" She started to guess like a pro, and I don't understand why she can read my thoughts. Probably a different version of Nikita, my friend. "Or perhaps you have encountered some terrifying creature inside? Tell me! I am interested." She laughed a little, which made me wonder what was laughable about those events.
I opened my eyes in shock. Did I hear it right? Of course, she is near me right now.
How did she know about that? She was not with me earlier, so how did she know? Something is off and odd for everyone today.
"I need to go, Nikita. I'll explain soon. Please allow me to go now."
I went silent for a moment. I shook my head. I don't believe in anything. I maintained those emotions to show Nikita how happy and strong I was. I did not wish to reveal all of the details about my encounter with the wolf. I was concerned for her own safety, and I expected that if I revealed the details of my secrets, it could jeopardize both of us.
"Amelia, come on, we're not that different from each other. I'm your friend! We are like family." Nikita said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Don't keep a secret from me. Spill it now while I am still being nice to you."
We glance at each other. Her eyes were now full of disbelief and dismay.
"Nikita..."
"What is your problem? Tell me." She asks, I feel hesitant as if I were a little girl who is being cornered now by her older sister. "Don't lie to me. Tell me everything. Did you just come out of the Forester Woods? Your appearance doesn't lie, Amelia," she continued while looking at me intently. I did not reply.
"Hey Amelia, are you okay?"
I nodded, but I knew it was not convincing enough for Nikita to believe in me.
"But it seems you were not..."
I tried to open my mouth to give her an answer, but I couldn't do that as I felt like I swallowed my own tongue. I couldn't say anything to her.
"Hey, Amelia. We are friends, nah, we are more than that, like a family, right? Why are you hesitating to tell me everything? I won't judge you."
She let out a loud laugh, but without any humor. I know she can read all my emotions. She did not just point it out for some reason.
"Are you going to tell me or not?" Her tone suggests that she is issuing an ultimatum to me.
I made a fake cough to clear my throat. I want to tell her everything, as in everything. But the problem is that I don't know how or where to start my story. Honestly, it was hard to start, especially given that it was about my weird experiences inside the Forester Woods.